CIA doubted Israeli intel on alleged Iranian threat that forced Trump to change planes: Report
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reportedly had serious doubts about Israeli intelligence claiming that Iran was planning to assassinate US President Donald Trump during his July visit to Turkey, according to a report.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that CIA analysts did not find the Israeli intelligence compelling and conveyed their skepticism to the Trump administration.
One US official described the warning as “Israeli-derived, not US-generated, and viewed as low confidence,” while another said some intelligence officials believed it was intended to influence Trump’s decisions rather than simply warn him of an imminent threat.
The report said Israel was particularly concerned about improving relations between Washington and Ankara, as Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed Turkey’s possible return to the US F-35 fighter jet program.
Israeli officials oppose the potential sale of the advanced US fighter to Turkey, arguing that it could weaken Israel’s so-called military advantage in the region.
One former official described the incident as part of a broader pattern of Israelis seeking to “shape presidential decision-making.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also received the warning but did not treat it as serious enough to prevent him from boarding Air Force One for the return journey, according to the report.
Democratic Senator Christopher Van Hollen likewise questioned the intelligence, asking whether the Israeli-provided information was “independently verifiable.”
“I have no doubt that Iran would like to see the president gone, but this all seems a little fantastical,” Van Hollen added.
The intelligence warning nevertheless triggered a highly unusual security operation during Trump’s departure from Turkey on July 8, with the Secret Service removing him from Air Force One after the NATO summit.
Trump was transported inside an airport catering vehicle to an Air Force C-32A, which then flew him to Britain while two F-16 fighter jets provided an escort.
Air Force One continued its flight with White House officials, security personnel, support staff and journalists aboard, effectively serving as a decoy while Trump traveled on the smaller aircraft.
Trump later claimed he had not been frightened by the reported threat and said he simply followed the Secret Service’s instructions to board “a different flight, a different plane.”
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